Risk Transformation Director

At Early Warning, we've powered and protected the U.S. financial system for over thirty years with cutting-edge solutions like Zelle, Paze, and so much more. As a trusted name in payments, we partner with thousands of institutions to increase access to financial services and protect transactions for hundreds of millions of consumers and small businesses.

Positions located in Scottsdale, San Francisco, Chicago, or New York follow a hybrid work model to allow for a more collaborative working environment.

Candidates responding to this posting must independently possess the eligibility to work in the United States, for any employer, at the date of hire. This position is ineligible for employment Visa sponsorship.

Overall Purpose

The Risk Transformation Director will be responsible for supporting a multi-year enterprise-wide transformation initiatives focused on embedding process risk management (including risk identification, control design, and RCSA), enhancing control testing and issue management disciplines, and designing the target operating model (TOM) for risk management. This role will be responsible for driving strategy, execution, and stakeholder alignment across all lines of defense to elevate the organization's risk maturity, transparency, and efficiency.

Essential Functions

Strategic Leadership

• Be the strategic leader to support the design and execution of the identified initiatives related to the Risk Transformation roadmap, ensuring alignment with enterprise strategic priorities and regulatory expectations.

• Collaborate and partner with senior leaders in the 1st and 2nd Lines of Defense to clarify risk ownership, accountability, and governance.

Process Risk Management

• Establish and institutionalize an enterprise process risk management framework that integrates risk identification, assessment, and control effectiveness evaluation.

• Partner with process owners to embed risk and control considerations into core business and technology processes.

• Ensure end-to-end visibility of risk within key business processes, including data, technology, third-party, and regulatory dependencies.

Target Operating Model (TOM) Development

• Define and implement the Target Operating Model (TOM) for risk management, including process standards, control frameworks, reporting structures, and engagement models.

• Design the future-state Risk Operating Model-spanning governance, process, people, technology, and data components.

• Define roles, responsibilities, and interfaces across risk, compliance, audit, and business teams. Communicate cross-functionally for understanding on accountabilities and responsibilities.

• Partner with HR and transformation offices to align org structure, capacity planning, and workforce capabilities with TOM design.

Governance & Reporting

• Drive risk reporting modernization, including owning identifying and creating enhanced Key Risk Indicators (KRIs), control health metrics, and transformation progress reporting.

• Produce and present updates to senior leadership, Board Risk Committees, and regulators on transformation milestones and outcomes.

• Ensure alignment with regulatory frameworks such as OCC Heightened Standards, FFIEC, Basel, and COSO ERM.

• Supports the company's commitment to risk management and protecting the integrity and confidentiality of systems and data.

Minimum Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in risk management, operational risk, process excellence, or large-scale transformation within financial services or other highly regulated industries.

• Proven experience designing and implementing risk operating models or enterprise transformation initiatives.

• Deep understanding of risk management frameworks, control testing, RCSA, issue management, and regulatory expectations.

• Strong program management, change leadership, and stakeholder influence skills.

• Effective communicator, both written and verbal, ability to convey complex ideas in a clear, concise manner for all levels of leadership including internal and external stakeholders.

• Ability to effectively prioritize work, meet deadlines, achieve goals, and work under pressure in a dynamic and complex environment

• Ability to influence and drive enterprise-wide strategic decisions with significant impact to the company.

• Ability to lead through ambiguity and deliver measurable outcomes.

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree or certification (e.g., CRISC, CISA, PMP, MBA) preferred.

• Background and drug screen

Physical Requirements

Working conditions consist of a normal office environment. Work is primarily sedentary and requires extensive use of a computer and involves sitting for periods of approximately four hours. Work may require occasional standing, walking, kneeling, and reaching. Must be able to lift ten pounds occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently. Requires visual acuity and dexterity to view, prepare, and manipulate documents and office equipment including personal computers. Requires the ability to communicate with internal and/or external customers.

Employee must be able to perform essential functions and physical requirements of position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Candidates responding to this posting must independently possess the eligibility to work in the United States at the date of hire.

The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position.

The base pay scale for this position in:
Phoenix, AZ/ Chicago, IL in USD per year is: $150,000 - $185,000.
Additionally, candidates are eligible for a discretionary incentive plan and benefits.

This pay scale is subject to change and is not necessarily reflective of actual compensation that may be earned, nor a promise of any specific pay for any specific candidate, which is always dependent on legitimate factors considered at the time of job offer. Early Warning Services takes into consideration a variety of factors when determining a competitive salary offer, including, but not limited to, the job scope, market rates and geographic location of a position, candidate's education, experience, training, and specialized skills or certification(s) in relation to the job requirements and compared with internal equity (peers). The business actively supports and reviews wage equity to ensure that pay decisions are not based on gender, race, national origin, or any other protected classes.

Some of the Ways We Prioritize Your Health and Happiness

• Healthcare Coverage-Competitive medical (PPO/HDHP), dental, and vision plans as well as company contributions to your Health Savings Account (HSA) or pre-tax savings through flexible spending accounts (FSA) for commuting, health & dependent care expenses.

• 401(k) Retirement Plan-Featuring a 100% Company Safe Harbor Match on your first 6% deferral immediately upon eligibility.

• Paid Time Off -Flexible Time Off for Exempt (salaried) employees, as well as generous PTO for Non-Exempt (hourly) employees, plus 11 paid company holidays and a paid volunteer day.

• 12 weeks of Paid Parental Leave

• Maven Family Planning - provides support through your Parenting journey including egg freezing, fertility, adoption, surrogacy, pregnancy, postpartum, early pediatrics, and returning to work.

AndSOmuch more! We continue to enhance our program, so be sure tocheck our Benefits page here for the latest. Ourteamcan share more during the interview process!

Early Warning Services, LLC ("Early Warning") considers for employment, hires, retains and promotes qualified candidates on the basis of ability, potential, and valid qualifications without regard to race, religious creed, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, protected veteran or disability status or any factor prohibited by law, and as such affirms in policy and practice to support and promote equal employment opportunity and affirmative action, in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and municipal laws. The company also prohibits discrimination on other bases such as medical condition, marital status or any other factor that is irrelevant to the performance of our employees.

Early Warning Services LLC is a proud participant in E-Verify, a federal program to help ensure a legal and authorized workforce. As part of our hiring process, we electronically verify the employment eligibility of all new hires through E-Verify. For more information on your rights and responsibilities under E-Verify please visit Home | E-Verify.